To receive full credit, these blog assignments must be posted by SUNDAY night, February 21st at midnight. If you post late, please email me your post directly at sdebross@uvm.edu as soon as you are able, and I'll give you partial credit. Please post your reflections to the course blog and copy to your personal blog.
1. Ad Nauseam: Parts 5 & 6
Please share three things (concepts, observations, themes) you learned after reading parts 5 & 6 of Ad Nauseam, and one question you have after finishing each section of the reading. (Be sure your questions begin with these three words on your blog post - "My question is..." )
2. Please read Steven Johnson's TIME magazine article, "How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live" (Summer 2009), and answer the questions below.
a. IYOW, identify the thesis of Johnson's article, in one sentence.
b. Describe TWO observations Johnson makes about Twitter with which you agree, and TWO observations Johnson makes about Twitter with which you disagree. Be clear and specific.
c. PERSONAL QUESTION: Are you using Twitter for personal or professional use? Why or why not? Please describe your relationship to Twitter right now.
3. Finish watching the PBS Frontline documentary, The Merchants of Cool, and list FIVE of the most important things you learned about the symbiotic relationship between the media and teens. Be specific and personal, and be prepared to share these in class.
4. I mentioned in class that I set up all your blogs on Google Reader so that whenever any of you posts something new, it comes to my reader. Here's a short and fun video explaining the power of RSS (Real Simple Syndication). Make information come to you! We'll talk more about this next class...
1. I liked the section in the book on how advertisements have changed over time, and how mascots are evolving along with it. I remember a year or to ago when someone was trying to tell me how the girl on the raisin box changed and how they liked this one better. I didn’t care, because a) I don’t eat raisins, and b) why does a mascot matter? This leads to….
ReplyDeleteMy question is how do we think the advertising will advance in the future, will our views change and will we finally be able to learn how to avoid the messages these advertisements are really sending us???
The section on the mesmerizing state of food stores and how people just purchased these things made me laugh. On multiple occasions I have gone food shopping with my mom and have bought things that weren’t on the list of things we had to buy. And then when we get home, she is like, how did this get in there? And I just laugh. But it is so true how you don’t even notice, I tend to find myself on a mission when shopping because I hate shopping, but for others, they are just drawn into the variety of things that they can get. I also really enjoyed the section on the pranks people do. Even though those signs aren’t real, they send out a message that should be heard. The media chooses to censor things, and I think that the truth should be told at all times, because what if these problems escalate? Then all we can do is blame the media.
My question is how far do you think the advertisement industry and media in general will go in order for real problems to occur and make these degrading adds leave? It doesn’t seem to matter how many girls have eating disorders or how many people are suing these weight loss companies, so what will it take for all this to end???
2. A) Twitter can make our lives easier and help change the way we live, but in reality, it’s just another way to communicate.
ReplyDeleteB) Sadly, I use twitter. And I admit that it is addicting. I agree with the point that it is an addiction and constantly needing to check and see what is on your homepage. I also agree with the point “In short, the most fascinating thing about Twitter is not what it's doing to us. It's what we're doing to It.” and how we as twitter users are what makes it up. It’s not like facebook where you are surrounded by advertisements. Twitter allows you to choose what you want to read, and you don’t need to have things that you don’t want. I disagree with the whole idea of staying up to date wit things. I don’t know if I am using twitter the wrong way, but I don’t feel that I am up to date on the world. This article makes it seem that you have everything at your fingertips, but really you choose what you want to have shown. I also disagree with the whole idea that twitter will change the way we live. I like twitter, but I don’t see it solving all of my problems and making my life any easier. Since making my twitter account, I haven’t changed the way I live, and I don’t see it doing that in the future.
c) I use twitter for my personal use. I have 20 followers, and 80 plus people that I follow. The 20 followers consist of things I follow and 3 friends, my mother, and my cousin in Florida. I follow famous snowboarders, stores, a few UVM pages, and musicians. I like twitter because everything is consolidated into one place. If more people were using twitter, I would delete my facbeook account. I like how with twitter I can read everything on one page, but on facbeook I need to search if I want to find something out. Over the summer, twitter updates helped me find out about a volunteering event in Brooklyn with my favorite band. That day turned out to be amazing, and I got to enjoy my favorite band and being able to work with them. It also helped me find out about a CD signing for the cast of the Broadway play HAIR, and I was able to go into NYC and go to Barnes and noble and be able to meet these stars and got to hear about the history and story behind the play from the writers. Even though people think twitter seems like a stupid idea, I am please with how I use it and how it has affected me. If people use facebook, they can use twitter, and I like that twitter allows me not to be directly connected to the world like facebook does.
3. A) In the movie, they talked about how teens have more money and are spending more than ever. Parents feel guilty, and give kids money. As a kid, I wasn’t give money to go out and spend, if I ever got money for my birthday or a holiday, it went right to the bank. This has helped me later on in life, because now I know how to spend my money, and I am always referred to as “cheap” because of how conscious I am over my spending.
ReplyDeleteB) I was really interested and shocked in the website that companies use to look into trends. To spend $20,000 to just have an insight on what’s hot and popular at the time is crazy.
C) The focus group interested me, and I found it entertaining how unenthusiastic those boys were. To be paid $125 to just talk about what’s cool now, is crazy, and even though these boys were being paid, they didn’t seem to care enough to simply talk about trends that are popular at this time. But I would probably think this is the best way to gain insight onto what’s popular at this time, because teens who are following these trends are the most educated (…experienced?) within that area.
D) This whole movie entertained me, but especially the whole idea of “Cool Hunting”. To go up to teens and just take pictures is a bit ridiculous. This reminded me of this booth in my mall at home, and every time you walk past it, they try to recruit you for modeling I have yet to find this company to be real, and it just makes me think about how many teens are being sucked into this and are so driven by the media and being cool.
E) TRL use to be the biggest thing on MTV, and as far as I know, I don’t think it even exists now. MTV has turned to just showing stupid reality shows, and has lost its connection to the music world. TRL was first created to let the viewers control what they want to see and hear. I have never seen an episode of TRL, but living so close to NYC, I know what it is and every time I am in the city, I would see the herd of teens standing outside of the MTV windows.
1. I like the section on subliminal seduction because it really showed me something I didn’t know before. It says in the book how subliminal messages have been debunked by experts and that they really don’t exist. Sadly, I did not know this. I always thought that it was just something that happens in advertising, and I totally understood why people were buying up books that supposedly uncovered the messages.
ReplyDeleteMy Question is, if people are so scared of subliminal messages and advertising that can enter their brains without them knowing, why aren’t they just scared of advertising in general? Isn’t it doing the same thing?
I loved section 6. I feel like the broad consumer is a hypocrite (even myself) so it was great to see people really sticking it to the media. I liked the first section about the guy who made no suv parking signs. It really made me stop think about the values that people really hold. Is it really to go against the advertising/media to get food at the coop or just easy to revolt it when it’s convenient and buy an suv later? Maybe we are all doing things out of convenience. Hence the section when a whole year worth of subjects bought all random items that were placed in their cart that they did not put in their carts. People are not only blind consumers of advertising they are blind consumers of things they actually buy. Moving forth from this idea it is proven that we are just blind consumers again in the section MeBay. People are learning that they can blindly consume anything they want to, friends or even a spot in public office. The whole thing is ridiculous.
My question is, how little can we use our brains? Will the blind consumption of products get worse than it is today, is that even possible?
2.
ReplyDeleteA. Twitter is a simple communication tool that can help our World to communicate/learn.
B. I disagree with the fuzziness that Johnson portrays surrounding Twitter. I do not agree with the idea that Twitter portrays “social warmth” and “unsuspected depth” - my friend eating a bowl of cereal is still just as plain as it was before the age of Twitter. When discussing the conference (#hackedu) he said Twitter added a new level of conversation. Even though I was not there I still disagree. Just because two sets of conversations were happening at the same time does not mean that either conversation was exploring some new depth. Hence multitasking being two things done badly at the same time. Along the same conversation, however, I do think Twitter at meeting does provide something good. Johnson was right about how it was nice to have a record of everything that was happening which is a permanent part of history. Records can be a useful tool which Twitter provides. I also agree with the fact that Twitter provides a new way to get educational information. You can get helpful articles by recommendation from a “friend of a friend” instead of searching Google and ending up at Wikipedia. Advice from people you know can be more valuable than the AI of Google.
C. I do not have a Twitter account but have been thinking about it since the start of this class. I’ve been curious after reading certain article to get involved. I don’t have any friends that use Twitter, so it would not be for personal use but more professional use. I would love to be able to see what my favorite bands are doing and what new Broadway shows are good and so forth.
3.
ReplyDeleteA. the relationship between media and teens is a loop - teens follow what is marketed and what is marketed comes from what teens are doing. It is a vicious cycle.
B. In the marketing boys are portrayed as overly aggressive and obnoxious where as girls are portrayed as sex objects.
C. Marketing has gotten increasingly sexually in relation to teens. From Dawson’s Creek to now, the sexual content that is being marketed to kids is greatly amplified.
D. Marketing will go to any lengths to find out what is new and hip; including spending $20,000 to access a website that represents the new trendsetters in the teen world.
E. Instead of putting marketing labels right in teens faces, to make things more cool, companies will slide marketing into places without their label on it. The marketing is getting to kids without them even knowing about it.
1. I really liked the part about fooling with advertising, especially when he started getting credit cards under different peoples’ names. I did not realize it, but after reading that section there are so many ways to mess around with advertising. I never thought of it but it was genius that he could get credit cards under different names and the companies are so desperate that they give them to him, also selling random stuff on ebay that isn’t even real, I could do that and make some money. I just shows how screwed up and messed up our whole advertising system is.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the section on subliminal advertising. I found it interesting how companies were trying to sneak advertising into stuff in a way we wouldn’t truly notice unless we really looked for it. I found that concept really messed up, but I also like how it messed with advertisers big time. Advertisers started saying that it was sneaking in everywhere, for example the part about seeing random stuff in a drink such as a mule.
My favorite part of the section was sneaking small items into people’s shopping carts at the grocery store. I found it very interesting how nobody noticed anything at the check out. I believe that if I had found something in my cart I would’ve remembered not putting it in, but then of coarse maybe they are right, a full cart is a good thing and I wouldn’t notice. I am just surprised that by all their tests, no one asked.
My question is how much research is left on advertising? I feel as though they will soon reach a point, however it never seems to end, because despite how much more effective they think they get, it doesn’t work; which is good, if not we would be zombies buying everything they tell us to.
My question is how can shoppers just buy whatever is stuck in their cart? I really believe that we need to make false advertisements in order to fight back advertising…advertising vs. advertising…hmm….
2. a) Twitter helps make quick communication that in many ways can be very useful.
b) I agree that twitter would not be a bad place to post a question. One has so many friends on these social networking sites that some of them will respond with great replies.
I agree that it is also very useful for following very recent events. I believe this because there are probably people at basketball games that post the score every minute.
I do not agree that it would feel satisfying to follow the twitter pages of certain celebrities. Why would I want to know that a basketball player has just finished his cardio workout? It is a waste of time.
I do not agree that we need to be connected every two minutes. I believe we would be fine not knowing what my neighbor ate for breakfast, once again, twitter would be a waste of time that we could be using to do more productive things.
c) I do not use twitter. I do not use it because I feel like I already am too connected. I also do not have any friends that seriously use twitter, and if they also use twitter they use facebook, so why get both? I do not need it, and I am trying to get rid of my Facebook, hasn’t happened yet, but give me time.
3. –Kids spend about 2 hours a day online, and also they spend about 100 billion dollars and get their parents to spend another 50 billion.
-Wrestling is huge among male viewers and the mooche is the common stupid male portrayed in advertisements and tv.
-Teenage women are shown that the best part of them is their body, these women are known as the midriff.
-TV shows must get dirtier to get attention.
-Hard to tell if the media is controlling the teens or if the teens are controlling the media, they seem to be working hand in hand.
Ad Nauseam: Part 5
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I found really interesting in part five was the advertisements that made use of famous quotations from deceased icons. The book gave quite a few examples, one of which was a quote by Einstein that was used in ads for Apple Computers, Nikon cameras, and the like. The quote read, “The trite objects of human efforts-possessions, outward success, luxury- have always seemed to me contemptible.” Maybe they just don’t know what the word contemptible means or they hope the consumer doesn’t know what it means, but it sounds to me like they insulted themselves. In my opinion, if they were trying to associate themselves with the great Einstein, they certainly picked the wrong quote.
I found the concept of subliminal messages in advertising to be quite… interesting, as well. I do think that advertising companies engage in what could be considered sneaky activities, but the word sex embedded into the dough molds at the Ritz Cracker factories? Sex orgy and bestiality in a clam plate placemat? Really? I’m going to have to disagree with Wilson Brian Key on this one. What, no one else has the ability to pick up on these things but him? Has he been bestowed with some great subliminal message debunking power that none of us happened to get? Furthermore, I understand that advertisements play on our emotions and basic human desires and what have you, but I can honestly say without a doubt in my mind that a donkey licking a long mustached man does not make me want to by a clam plate… Not even a little bit. I don’t think the whole concept of subliminal messages is to be disregarded, but the way Key interprets the concept just don’t seem quite feasible to me.
Upon reading the Idiot Consumer section, I felt somewhat offended by the advertising companies. “Stupid people…hogs…illogical mess…” Really? I feel like they should be describing themselves rather than the masses of people that make up the consumer body. I guess advertising is important for our economy and keeps it up on its feet, but if you think about it, those ad companies are the stupid ones. Using Kurt Cobain in an advertisement. What did they think was going to happen? They (as a generalization) just sound like an office of blundering idiots running around trying to be the first to use subliminal messages and then not because they are supposedly ineffective. And then be the first to advertise to the supposed fourteen-year-old consumer mind of the thirty year old adult, etc…
My question is what’s next? Advertising has evolved quite a bit over the years to bring it to the point we are at today. So we’ve gone through the subliminal message scare, and now there are apparently special codes that will make us buy more things. What else can they throw at us? (As a side note, the PANEXA ad was absolutely hysterical!!)
Ad Nauseam: Part 6
ReplyDeleteIn part six, one of the quotes that really stuck out for me was when they said, “Public outrage has a shelf life: people can protest an issue for only so long before surrendering and getting on with their lives.” Sadly, it’s true. The majority of people are only fired up about something so long as it’s being covered in the news. Other than that, all you’ve got is the minority vote. For the vast majority of the people, their beliefs and passions fluctuate with what the media tells them they should be outraged about. It’s sad, really.
It’s crazy that none of the people who had foreign objects appear in their shopping carts did anything about it. Are people just blindly walking through life, not really giving any care to what they spend their hard earned money on? One would have thought that at least one person would have questioned the object. I would hope that I wouldn’t purchase an obscure item such as a meat thermometer just because it happened to be in my cart.
The credit card prank, although quite funny, was also appalling on the part of the credit card companies. No wonder so many people’s identities get stolen. The fact that he actually got away with an actual balance by completely BS-ing his mother’s maiden name and mumbling is amazing in a scary kind of way. Then the operator told him his mother’s maiden name! As if pretending to understand a mumble wasn’t bad enough, let’s just inform the kind gentleman of what he failed to be able to come up with the first time, shall we?
My question is how do we get more people to socialize in ways that don’t “…center around consuming stuff…”? I think the pranks, and “grocery store research,” if you will, are great. However silly it might be, at least people are thinking outside the box and using the brains they have been given by whatever higher force(s) they may answer to. Versus, being fed how to live and how you should live by the media and advertisements etc… So advertising has successfully created blind consumers, how do we deconstruct this and resurrect the independent thinkers?
#1
ReplyDeleteBefore I get to my observations of the book "Ad Nauseum," I must say that I really enjoyed every chapter. Truly informative.
Now in the chapter entitled "Subliminal Seduction," the author describes the eye catching techniques that are used by advertisers to lure in readers. Using the same color that is placed behind an article headline and placing it behind a neighboring ad to suggest a connection. This causes the reader to drawl a subconscious mental link. Since I am already on the subject of the subconscious I have to mention the theories of Wilson Bryan Key. How could you not bring him up? I mean all of his suggested sexual undertones were both frightening and fascinating. The orgy in a plate of clams was a really entertaining observation. Now the way in which the advertising companies were able to flip this negative attention around to work in their favor was brilliant. They do say that all publicity is good publicity.
In the chapter about Sir Jon Hargrave who pranked everyone in the industry it was amazing to discover the carelessness of credit card companies. This man was able to open an account under the name Barack Obama with no questions asked. There is something wrong with that. Which leads me to ask a couple of questions.
My first question is how is it possible that a person can so easily have access to credit? Who is regulating this?
My second question is along the same lines as my first one but instead I ask who regulates the medical advertisements? Is there no one that checks that pharmaceutical companies aren't making bogus claims?
#2
a)Twitter can ease the burdens of communication.
b)I do find myself in agreement with Johnson over the ease of communication that is created through Twitter. When talking on the phone or writing an e-mail it can become too time consuming in this fast paced world. Now when you need an instant response you can simply 'tweet' someone. Also I am in agreement with Johnson when he brings up the benefits of advertising on Twitter. Technological advances have changed advertsing in a big way. Entrepeneurs don't have to pay for advertising anymore. With Twitter and Facebook you can easily expand your consumer outreach.
Now where I differ from Johnson is that I don't personally see the merits of being plugged into cyber space at all times. People are communicating more but is the face to face form of communication lacking? Also, why do we need to be more engrossed in celebrities lives? I'm not sure that I feel the same way that Johnson does about gaining a personal connection with celeb. I just think it gives people a false sense of reality.
c)I am not a Twitter user so my relationship is strictly second hand. In fact I'm not really sure that I will ever become a Tweet-head. Facebook is about my breaking point with technology and even that is starting to bore me.
5 things from "The Merchants of Cool:"
ReplyDelete1)Marketers pay kids to give them the inside scoop on "cool" things.
2)Hip-hop became a major vehicle in the selling of products to teens.
3)Tom Green is a "mook." Finally I know what made him famous.
4)Family friendly WB was won out by teen sexuality.
5) The Insane Clown Posse is anti-mainstream. Teen resistance movement to appose the MTV teen.
Twitter:
ReplyDelete1. Twitter is not as bad as first impression would suggest.
2. I have never used twitter myself, so it is diffiuclt to think about it personally. I don't agree or disagree with anything the writer mentions about twitter, because I have no expereince with it. I also do not believe I have any friends or family members who use it (or at least none have mentioned it to me) so it has never really come up in conversation. There was one quote in the article though, that really struck me: "We don't think it at all moronic to start a phone call with a friend by asking how her day is going. Twitter gives you the same information without your even having to ask." Isn't that part of being a friend? Caring? If somebody is curious about my life and bothers to ask me what I have been doing, it is an indicator that they care about me, if not, otherwise. I kind of like the subtle social indicator of interest.
3. As I mentioned before, I do not use twitter and have never in the past either. I have no relationship with twitter, social or professional.
Merchants of Cool:
1. There is actually a job position called "cool hunter".
2. Sprite is still a popular soft drink and has a relationship with hip-hop... I haven't seen anyone drink Sprite is years.
3. TRL stands for Total Request Live- have never seen that show and knew nothing of what it is about.
4. 13-year-old girls "party" and grind with boys.
5. How few record labels there are- makes me wonder about some of the "under ground" hip-hop I listen to like Binary Star, who are openly opposed to main stream hip/hop society.
Three themes I noticed throughout the book Ad Nauseam were how lonely most people are, how we try to solve this loneliness by conformity and purchasing instead of forming deep and meaningful relationships, often with little alteration of our feelings and then do it again and again (we are insane!), and that most people are very easily convinced and manipulated (we take a lot for granted and don't bother to question).
ReplyDeleteMy question for section 5 is there any research done about the indirect effects of this subliminal messaging? How does it effect behavior, when a consumer chooses not to purchase?
My question for section 6 is it worth fighting the media so aggressively and openly? Don't you have to work through the system to beat the system? If you're fighting all your life, will you have time to be happy? Maybe it's just about be selective... or buying everything in sight! (kidding)
Twitter:
ReplyDeleteThesis:
Twitter, although it seemed to have some negative connotations is actually a social platform for people to not only feel connected to others but also take advantage of various discussions and educational conversations but also to organize and implement social, political, and intellectual change.
Agree:
I definitely agree that “…a whole new empire of distraction has opened up.” People can now continuously text other people they aren’t with while supposedly hanging out with the people they are with as they compulsively check Facebook, and Twitter one their phones. At the same time they can surf the web ,while watching TV, just to throw in some more media before the day ends, only to wake up the next day and the first thing they do: locate phone…www.twitter.com…just woke up, going to shower and then have breakfast! P-lease, we have enough media connections. Twitter is just one more thing for people to be ridiculously obsessed with.
I also agree that Successful businesses will have millions of Twitter followers, and will most definitely pay good money attract them. I’m not sure I see this as a good thing though. It’s just one more way for people to be reached by the advertising agencies. As if people aren’t connected enough to them. It’s just one more way that advertising is becoming part of our atmosphere, as was mentioned in The Persuaders.
Disagree:
I disagree with the amount of praise and accomplishment that is given to the concept of end-user innovation with regard to Twitter. Yeah, great, so we now have another way to talk to each other and snoop into each other’s lives. Wow, somebody had the genius idea of creating the ‘hashtag’ to better organize Twitter conversations and now lots of Twitter users do it, it’s called a trend. But have they cured a disease etc..? No, I don’t think so. Obviously communication is not a problem that needs to be solved. We’ve solved it already, at least six times. We can communicate in pretty much every form except maybe telepathy, depending on who you talk to. So leave communication methods alone for a while. Focus on something more important to society. Focus this end-user innovation into something more productive. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a waste of this so-called wealth of innovation that America supposedly has as demonstrated by Twitter.
I also disagree with this whole concept of ‘following’ people. First of all, it’s kind of creepy. Everybody ‘follows’ everybody else. It creates a society of followers; where are the leaders? Last I heard, there was no lead button on Twitter. Yes, it is just a word, but as far as I can see, it can’t help the human psyche any.
Relationship with Twitter:
I do not have a Twitter account. I do however, have a Facebook, and in all honesty, it can be kind of annoying. To be honest, the only reason I have a Facebook is because senior year of high school my best friend convinced me that it was a good idea and set it up for me. I can definitely say that if Facebook somehow exploded, I wouldn’t miss it, not even a little bit. But one social networking site, or whatever you’d like to call it, is enough for me. Between using the phone, texting, emailing, facebooking etc… I feel overly connected. If I were to get a Twitter account, something else would have to go, and at the moment I don’t see it necessary to put the time into actually get the account and get rid of something else. My life is much better spent elsewhere.
Merchants Of Cool:
ReplyDelete1. Seventy five percent of teens have a television in their room, (is this really necessary?!?!) and one third have a personal computer.
2. Paradox of cool hunting: It kills what it finds. As soon as marketers discover cool, it stops being cool. There is no solution, by discovering cool, you force it to move on to the next thing, only to be discovered again.
3. Its called Market research, not human or people research. This begs the question, is more about understanding who people are as a customer, versus understanding who someone is as a person. Advertising companies listen to the people not so they can give them what they want, but so they can give them what they want them to have..
4. “The most advanced form of marketing today comes in the form of a three hundred pound body slam…professional wrestling.”
5. TV shows kept getting edgier and edgier, channels keep trying to one up the other on the sex scale to keep up with the demand of the audience. “Teenagers are consumed with sex.” “Sex is part of teens lives, so it should be portrayed in the media too.” The media sells kids an image of what they should be like, the kids then mirror that, and the media is there to see it. Feedback loop.
1.AD Nauseam Parts 5&6
ReplyDelete“The power of advertising…lay in controlling cultural symbols” p. 234. It is interesting to think about how all advertising now is focused on symbols and emotions. It was not until the second half of the nineteenth century that advertisers began to understand that logic was far less powerful than the emotional pull of a particular product. It seems that all products are essentially the same now yet we still tend to be pulled in by the advertisers. I have begun to shop differently but I used to be sucked into buying particular products for no reason. For example I would buy more expensive pens because they seemed cooler, when in reality the black ink made the same mark on my paper. Its odd how advertisers can easily manipulate the most basic parts of our lives.
Another thing I found very interesting was the fear of subliminal messaging. People were absolutely terrified that they might be manipulated into wanting something without even knowing it. People were so terrified that they actually banned this practice. However we have learned that children are manipulated by advertisements and do not know it. It seems odd to me that nowadays people allow this to happen to their children during their formative years but fought so hard against it thirty years ago.
It seems that almost everyone is opposed to the large corporations and their power. For example Sir John Hargrave who gets back at them through small pranks. Yet it is clear that while many claim to be against these businesses we are all still drawn in to buying their products. It seems that there is no way to get around them completely, and even these small pranks make little/no difference.
· Down The Memory Hole: My question is when did cell phones become so much a part of our lives?
· Grave Revisionism: My question is how can people believe that a company such a coca-cola might not be motivated by the profit motive (as it implies that only other companies are). When, and why did companies start using quotes such as those provided to promote the very thing the quotes condemn?
· Subliminal Seduction: My question is why the American public was so afraid of subliminal messaging but it seems that we STILL allow ourselves to be manipulated into buying products. Also, why is subliminal messaging, which (they believed) convinces people to buy things without them understanding/knowing illegal, but advertisements targeted at children which do the same thing, are shown in schools?
· The Idiot Consumer: My question is if advertisers consider themselves to be smarter than those they are selling to, and is this almost a part of the job? If people do not respond to reason in advertising how can anyone promote something reasonable?
· Everything I Know About Life…: My question is about the statement “selling fragrance today: the product was all [about the] image.” Doesn’t it seem that nowadays selling almost all products is all about the image?
· Corporate Mascots: My question is why don’t people ever look past cute mascots to see a very hideous truth behind many corporations?
· Adventures: My question is how can we advertise for the environment? What are good ways to make harmful environmental practices seem un-cool since our culture is so overly concerned with “cool.”
· Buyer Beware: My question is why were these people so oblivious to what they were buying? Do you believe they discovered the item when they got home?
· True Gentleman: My question is when did advertising begin to invade ALL parts of life, even parties?
· Letter to the Creative: My question is how often do companies doing surveys get completely made up answers and does any of this actually mess with the results?
· Hmmm…wasn’t until here that I realized I didn’t have to write questions for each one, but they were already done so I figured I would share.
2. Twitter.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is a social networking site that can make communication easier.
I agree that twitter could be used to communicate and especially to share new information. Such as various websites, articles, links to a video etc. It is very interesting to think how people have been changing the way twitter was meant to be used. While people do still tweet about unimportant daily activities they are also using this site for valuable information sharing.
The author seems to believe that twitter is in some ways very intimate. That learning the everyday activities of a friend we don’t see much can give us valuable insight, or that responding to Oprah on twitter feels like actually communicating. I understand that some people may feel this way but isn’t it obvious that this is not actually intimate communication? I personally do not feel any more connected knowing what someone ate for breakfast and even if Oprah read what I said I do not know her.
I believe the author makes twitter sound far better than it is. While it may be useful in certain circumstances it generally is not used for good purposes. Most users on twitter are simply telling us what they are doing and it seems to lead to a competition to see who is doing the coolest thing. Twitter seems like another tool used by many to try to make other people think a certain way about them, and to advertise themselves.
I have a twitter account I made in order to see what the hype was about. I did use this account for about a week and haven’t logged onto it since. The people I knew using twitter seemed to (wanted to) think they’re every movement was important enough for the world to care. I’m not saying this is true of all twitter users; it may be a characteristic more common in my age group. Personally, I’m a more private person and I don’t want my every move to be known, or accessible by everyone on the Internet. I see that twitter can be used for valuable information sharing but I don’t believe that is the norm.
3. Merchants of Cool
· One giant feedback loop. Real life and TV life have begun to blur and we are no longer sure who is reflecting who
· Teen rebelliousness shown in media products directed at teens.
· Kids have always acted wild but it was never celebrated so much on TV.
· “The paradox of cool hunting is that it kills what it finds, as soon as marketers discover cool it stops being cool.”
· Kids see marketers as enemy, so they have to pretend like they’re not the marketer.
Ad Nauseum
ReplyDeleteThis book is full of "ah-ha" moments for me, and the Subliminal Seduction section was one such moment. Of course the sexuality is more subtle in some ads more than others but I did not realize it could be so rampantly used. I know subliminal advertising is a real thing but this book takes it to another level. One theme from this section would be overkill, a little bit of over-analyzing of ads. That is what makes this interesting though subliminal messages are supposed to make us react subconsciously so my question is if this in depth investigation is really needed? Another theme I found interesting is the one on a smarter consumer. Companies such as Geico have definitely taken advantage with commercials featuring intelligent humor. It is funny how blatant the old advertisements were. A third theme is fro the section down memory hole, about company mascots. Always ironic how a mascot that was originally appealing and selling becomes problematic and hurting business. This not only happens with mascots but other facets of business. My question for section 6 is will I get arrested if I was caught placing "no parking for SUV" signs in a lot? I though that was a brilliant idea.
Twitter
a. There is more to Twitter than 140 character bits of information, it is a social and innovative phenomenon
b. I agree with Johnson that Twitter is a new way to spread information efficiently. The Summize tool makes this very easy. I would also agree with the idea that it takes people's minds off stressing events such as the economy. It serves as a media similar to what the movies serve a purpose as. I disagree that Twitter can evolve into more than what it already is. I can see marginal changes especially if Facebook or Google ends up buying. Other than being a way to spread news or Shaq's daily routine in 140 characters there is not much more Twitter can do. I would also disagree that Twitter makes bad first impressions, at first it appealed to me than after a month or two I stopped following.
c. I am not using Twitter, I did shortly after it became popular last year only because I thought you needed a page to follow people. Now I do not even follow anyone's tweets, and I disposed of my page which was blank anyway; I could never think of anything to tweet about
The Merchants of Cool
1. That people are used as pawns to connect media images to consumer atitudes
2. Images such as female beauty are pervasive
3. Corporate labels create trends and opinions among vulnerable teens "TRL" "Spring Break"
4. Family values become entangled in teen marketing on television "WB"
5. Violent messages do the same as advertising by influencing behavior
1.
ReplyDeleteFirstly what I found interesting was the section on Subliminal messages. I've often wondered, simply, if it worked or not and how often it is used. Thanks to Ad Nauseam I know the simple answers, no it doesn't work, and it isn't actually used for that precise reason. I think the endurance of the myth has to do more with the money riding on its coattails, than any veracity.
Secondly, was Lysol's dubious past as an extremely painful and crude spermicide. Sure Lysol kills sperm, it kills everything and would burn your skin, I cringe.
Thirdly was the eye-opening brazenness of Johnnie Walker's advertising. They were clearly trying to craft an image for consumers to inhabit, oh and that image happens to drink scotch, just btw.
My question for section five is, considering how substances deemed medicine in the past are poison in the present (heroin for example) how can we be sure we aren't doing the same thing to ourselves today with new pills and drugs?
My question for section six is, finishing the book I wonder what the next step is. It is perhaps an open-ended question, but what can we do next, does a savvy consumer live a different life?
2.
a.
Johnson's thesis is; Twitter has created a platform of communication that advances ambient awareness in important ways, but ultimately more important is the innovative ways individuals adapt this new technology to new ways.
b.
In support of Johnson I applaud the use of Twitter to create shadow conversations that can work as a set of citations for a conversation, it's exciting. I also like the idea of using Twitter to engage in nation-wide dialogues about issues like education, the connecting and sharing of ideas is always good.
Against Johnson I have this; that nation-wide dialogue would unfortunately be limited to a small demographic who have the access to Twitter, and the know-how and motivation to use it. This limits the number of participants in this conversation. Additionally, I worry that any digital intimacy we might be receiving from our tweets is replacing physical intimacy, a far more important commodity.
c.
I don't personally use Twitter, but that was mainly because I couldn't find a use for it, the idea of the shadow conversation is intriguing though, and I can now see the place this technology is beginning to occupy.
3.
Five things I learned from the Merchants of Cool
1. The Mook is a fabricated calculated character. I was unware of his hollow nature and origins.
2. Limp Bizkit was also helped significantly on their rise to fame, I never listened to them, but I knew of them, I'd no idea they were so propped up.
3. The idea of a feedback loop is a frightening concept. The MTV Spring Break being an example of it, they make it exciting by showing it non-stop for the other 50 weeks of the year it isn't being filmed.
4. The idea of companies paying people to talk up their products online or gather information about them is unnerving, I won't give them any more ammo.
5. The Midriff just seems to reinforce awful appearance-oriented values that only seem to give rise to more and more consuming.
1.
ReplyDeleteDuring the first section of the reading, subliminal advertising is the topic of most interest to me. I still wonder to myself if this type of advertising is taking a hold of me. Brands are right to admit that today's consumer culture is no longer naive, and they must get our attention in some other way. Something else of interest to me was the way that we as consumers do realize how much we do advertisers' work for them. Yes, we all detest ads for the most part and don't agree with the way they appeal to us, but these same people are wearing logos day in and day out, giving the brands free advertising. Thirdly, I enjoyed the pranks of Joe Garden and his advice on how to disrupt the system with minuscule attacks. In my day, I have seen plenty of fake eBay auctions, most of them hilarious, and this made me think of them. Also, the idea of sending businesses back their business reply envelopes with a ton of garbage in them is very tempting.
My question for section 1 is that alcohol and liquor ads can hide ridiculous pictures and subliminal messages in their ads, how far does this type of marketing go?
My question for section 2 is how did no one realize they were buying foreign groceries twice every week for a year?
2.
Twitter, once thought to be just a new way to tell your friends what you're eating for breakfast, is now on the verge of being one of the most important social networking devices, ready to surpass Google in it's dominance of Internet searching.
I support Johnson's reasoning on why Twitter can now be so helpful not only in the social world but in the business world as well. To be able to ask a list of a 1000 people what they think about a decision in real time can be revolutionary in the way we carry out business. I also agree that Twitter is battling for support throughout the toughest economic times we have ever seen. People are out of jobs but continue to invent ways to keep in touch with each other.
I don't agree with the fact that Johnson sees it as proactive that people can only use 140 characters in their Twitters, causing information transmitted to be more precise. I am a firm believer in explanation, and although sometimes things can be explained in a few short words, it is mostly not the case. I also disagree with the way Twitter is now promoting advertising, the very topic we have been studying for the past few weeks.
I personally don't use Twitter because I don't require instant updates on everyone I know. I rely on the occasional browsing of facebook or texting to find out how people I care about are doing. I otherwise have no bias towards twitter.
3.
-Everything that has to do with advertising has gotten increasingly sexual, especially while children and teens are still developing a knowledge of advertisements.
-Advertising no longer has to be in your face, because it can be subtly everywhere you look, from friends clothes to movie backgrounds.
-The idea of corporations paying people to advertise brands to their friends and family is disgusting.
-The males of TV and advertising become increasingly violent and the women become more sexual.
-Cool Hunting? Enough said.
Section 5
ReplyDeleteI was blown away by the subliminal messaging/seduction advertising drive. The fact that it was deemed to be a hoax interested me because I have always heard of this concept but had never read anything about it. The idea of seeing skulls and humping donkeys flashing very quickly in and out of an alcohol commercial was very bizarre to me.
This quote also interested me a lot: "Medicine is in some ways the foundation of modern advertising." This is a very powerful statement however in the 1800's medical advertising exploded. Today medicine ads litter newspapers, magazines, the TV, and the internet. It was cheap to bottle, no one knew what was in it and due to the high alcohol content or other drug content it made people think they felt better when in fact they were just loopy.
My question is..Is there a difference between subliminal advertising and
just regular advertising? Are they not both trying to seduce the viewer/reader/etc.?
Section 6
I really enjoyed the short exert on the naming of SUV's and RV's because it's true. These vehicles are generally named ridiculous powerful names and are driven by people with a slightly enlarged ego.
My question for section 6 is...how is it possible for the largest corporations in America balancing our money and weighing our balances to have such a lack of security?
2.)
A: Twitter is a very useful communication tool but is one of many in today’s rapidly developing technological world.
B: I agree that these types of resources are useful in rapid communication especially the format in which Twitter operates.
I also agree that Twitter is a source of advertising much like any other resource such as myspace or facebook. Using these sources companies can post things all over the place based on your current status or your personal info.
I disagree with the fact that Twitter is arguably the most interesting alternative search/share tool next to Google. Google is unsurpassed because its the easiest and most widely used search engine today solely based on shear simplicity. Twitter requires accounts and can only relay information to other people with accounts and in this day and age Americans are far less responsive to resources requiring accounts and personal information than they are to free and anonymous search engines.
I also disagree that every major channel in the future will be twitterfied. There will always be people who like the old fashioned books and newspapers and there will always be the technologically superior snobs that require the latest and greatest gadgets. To say that everything will be twitterfied is ridiculous because this form of streaming information is simply a stalling tactic until they can come up with a faster more efficient method.
c: I do not use twitter so I have no affiliation with it however if I were to use it I would say that I would only use it for personal uses. I feel that professional matters should be left to more private and secure sources such as business emails, private accounts, and voicemail boxes. Twitter is a great way to check up on your friends but I would not use to it set up a business meeting.
5 Things from "The Merchants of Cool"
ReplyDelete1.) The amount of money teens have at their disposal to spend.
2.) The marketing companies ploys in their attempts to be cool so as to be on the same level of coolness that the teens think they are.
3.) Aggressive powerful messages sent in advertising to teen boys and sexual beauty messages in the advertising for teen girls.
4.) Advertising companies spent $20,000 to a website based on teen trendsetters in order to find out what they should be saying/pitching in their ads.
5.) The concept of advertising has no limits now. Through teens they can put ads on clothes, shoes, signs, buses, anywhere really that teens will see it, it's there.
Ad Nauseam Sections 5&6
ReplyDeleteI found these two sections of the book, equally if not more disturbing than previous chapters, simply because the discussions on the evolutions of brands, and marketing seems shocking. I always had a feeling the subliminal marketing gears weren't always turning, but I am certain they exist in ways which weren't mentioned in the book. The real scary part is that although people understand that this technology in media is in existence, whether on purpose or simply because advertisements are trying to define a motto, or a brand and by definition it has to be grabbing and stay with the consumer.
For section 5: my question is why are people so afraid of the campaigns towards subliminal messaging advertisements, when by defininition advertisements are meant to do that very job?
For section 6: my question is how do you know if you have fallen victim to the nature of advertising and the lure of brand marketing? How can you honestly tell anymore whether you enjoy the consumed item, or you just liked the label and then grew to enjoy the product.
Twitter Article
ReplyDelete1. Thesis: to defend twitter's ability to connect people to the now, and to define the less than evil nature of this media network.
2. Agree 1: I agree with Johnson on the fact that twitter can be used as tool which promotes certain positive ends, environmental, social and so on. The idea that you can have a forum for any number of ideas which can be picked up and tweaked by the masses is impressive.
Agree 2: I also agree with Johnson in the fact that unlike google, twitter gives people a forum which is connected to the current of information in the now, and that it allows people to stay in touch with whats happening around the world at this very moment.
Disagree: I disagree with Johnson on the topic of Twitter's perfect presence that the nature of twitter is for stronger connectedness rather than true social distortion. I believe and as we have discussed in class, that Twitter and other social media like Facebook spread our ability to connect socially very thin. We have less and less time to think independently of the masses, because we are immersed in it 24 hours a day.
Personal Use: I worked for a company which had begun using Twitter last summer, as well as the increasingly popular LinkedIn, which is a corporate job search and connection forum. Both of which I thought in the beginning were fruitless exploits of a company looking to spread their name around the technological highway. However, I was incredibly surprised at the speed in which is paid off, as a consulting firm, we had emails and more hits to the company website on the month we had installed twitter and linkedin, than any other month in the companies 15 year history.
5 things from merchants of cool
ReplyDelete1. teens disposable income
2. paying "trendsetters" to create buzz and marketplace for companies
3. women=sexy men=macho/violent, wrestling? come on.
4. TV ups shock value, reality & TV melding
5. marketing strategy = manipulate teens world
Please share three things (concepts, observations, themes) you learned after reading parts 5 & 6 of Ad Nauseam, and one question you have after finishing each section of the reading. (Be sure your questions begin with these three words on your blog post - "My question is..." )
ReplyDelete1. I would first like to re-write John Lennon’s quote, because I idolize him, and the quote says it all. “Money doesn’t matter, it never did. Money is just another trap…it makes you sexy and intelligent and talented in a flash, poof! And it’s a lie.” ~John Lennon. It astounds me that capitalism, a human constructed socio-political system, has changed the way people THINK. People seriously value shopping as much, if not more, than most other activities in their daily lives. I know people who will admit that shopping is their favorite thing to do, or that it literally makes them feel better about things. Advertisements appeal to all of the things we want most out of life, and John Lennon pinpoints them best: sexiness, intelligent, and talented at something.
2. I like the section “Subliminal Seduction”. I have been wondering when this issue would be discussed in class, because it is one of the only ones I had been previously educated about. Obviously, sex is something that everyone is interested in at some level, and it seems that most subliminal messages have a sexual theme, no matter if the product is sexual or not. This is probably because anyone old enough to really have disposable income would be teenage and older, and receptive to those messages.
3. In the section “The Idiot Consumer”, there is suggestion that consumers used to be very naïve about advertising, and treated like sheep, but that now we are more observant and likely to pinpoint what is bullshit. I find it hard to believe that people have become that much smarter about advertisements. Our entire culture is built around consumption. People buy things every day because they are convinced that it is a necessity.
My question is… Has it been suggested, or taken seriously, that viewers should be made aware when subliminal messaging is used? It seems unethical to expose people to things without their consent.
Please read Steven Johnson's TIME magazine article, "How Twitter Will Change The Way We Live" (Summer 2009), and answer the questions below.
ReplyDeletea. IYOW, identify the thesis of Johnson's article, in one sentence.
Twitter seems useless and excessive at first, but does have an appeal in that it lets one know what others are doing, without having to ask.
b. Describe TWO observations Johnson makes about Twitter with which you agree, and TWO observations Johnson makes about Twitter with which you disagree. Be clear and specific.
Agree:
“One of the most telling facts about the Twitter platform is that the vast majority of its users interact with the service via software created by third parties. There are dozens of iPhone and BlackBerry applications — all created by enterprising amateur coders or small start-ups — that let you manage Twitter feeds.” I can’t disagree with that. I know a lot of people who have cell phones that can access the internet, and it annoys me so much! Between texting, games, facebook, twitter, and taking pictures, it is as if they aren’t even aware of the world around them. I am wondering how interconnected these corporations have become. I am sure that Facebook, Twitter, and the i(stuff) industries have been in bed together for quite some time (for lack of a better term).
The author mentions activism as a venue in which Twitter can be very helpful I completely understand where he is coming from. It is a great way to organize something like a flash mob, in which a bunch of civilians create a scene spontaneously, and the same instant. Twitter would be very helpful, because thousands of people can be reached without having to know cell phone numbers, or give advanced warning.
Disagree:
“We still have national events, but now when we have them, we're actually having a genuine, public conversation with a group that extends far beyond our nuclear family and our next-door neighbors.” I am wondering if there is much value in this type of so-called ‘genuine’ conversation. Not much can be said in 140 characters, and there is no way to tell if someone’s comments are valid. In addition, those who aren’t involved with Twitter, such as myself, are automatically excluded. Wouldn’t it be more valuable if people had genuine conversations with their nuclear families and neighbors, anyway?
The other places a lot of value on the fact that information can be conveyed instantly. I can’t imagine anything is that important, that you can’t wait a day or so to find out over the phone.
c. PERSONAL QUESTION: Are you using Twitter for personal or professional use? Why or why not? Please describe your relationship to Twitter right now.
I have never even been on the Twitter website, nor have I seen a “Tweet”. I am completely disinterested, because it would be too time consuming to take part in. I am already uncomfortable with the degree to which I use my cell phone and Facebook. My on-going goal is to become less engaged with technology.